Artistic and creative careers are among the most rewarding, but they also come with unique challenges. We asked some of the city’s best creatives to tell us why they choose to pursue a creative career.

Haley McAndrews | Artist, Illustrator & Author

There’s a quote by Picasso: “All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” The simplest answer is that I never grew out of being an artist. Since I can remember I’ve always loved drawing and coloring, my whole life. Art isn’t just a thing I do, though. It’s part of who I am. I remember my 6th grade teacher commenting once that I was really good at picking out colors that complemented each other. In high school, I wasn’t particularly encouraged by my art teacher, but every single day I drew in my notebooks, in the margins of my tests and assignments, and stayed up late coloring them all and naming my variety of characters. My art is like therapy for me. Read more>>

DJ Kenny Lofton | DJ & Crowd Controller

I decided to pursue DJ’ing because I love music in general. I was the kid that regardless if it was a new song on the radio or an old R&B classic my mother or grandmother would have playing … I knew all the words front to back. When I was in college, I’d be the one in charge of music selection and DJ’ing, therefore it just became a way of expression! Whether I was making sure my peers were put on to new and upcoming artist or moving to the hits they already knew, DJ Kenny Lofton was in control of the crowd. Read more>>

Creator Jewels | Musician, Model, and Influencer

Music and entertainment fills me with genuine joy. Before I got into my creative career full time I was in business and marketing as a full time freelancer. When I wanted to switch over one of my previous clients told me I would never be as successful as I wanted to be if I choose to leave. I already feel 1000000x more successful. Money was never my goal. Now being able to pay my bills has to happen but changing my direction has allowed me to think how I can do that while doing what I love. Read more>>

Hanna Le | Filmmaker, Writer, Actress, Artist

dancing, songwriting… they all captivated me from a very young age. I would go through so many different phases where I would be inspired to randomly learn a form of art I never really noticed before. I would spend hours, days, even weeks just practicing and working on that project or type of art. And although I mainly focus on film now, I still try to pick up as many different skills as I can and use them both professionally and in my personal projects. Read more>>

Eric Seall | Music Producer & DJ

I’ve been fascinated music ever since I was a kid. When I discovered dubstep in 8th grade and then started experimenting with music production, I knew from that point it was what I wanted to do as a career! Read more>>

Stephanie (DJ So Luxe) Ferguson | DJ

I have always wanted to DJ, since I was a teenager. I love all music and always wanted to share that so becoming a DJ was an easy decision. Read more>>

JoyfulSelah | YouTuber & Crafts Entrepreneur

I pursued a creative career because when I tried to do anything else I didn’t feel fulfilled. I wanted to use my creativity and instead of making it a hobby, form it into something sustainable as well. I wanted to enjoy my work and that’s what I am striving for. Read more>>